Day 1 at the Australian Open sees defending Champion Rafael Nadal taking on British talent Jack Draper, while Lloyd Harris makes his return to Grand Slam action against Lorenzo Musetti. We have predictions for every day 1 men’s and women’s match in Melbourne here at Last Word on Tennis.
Rafael Nadal vs Jack Draper
Damian Kust: That has to be the toughest possible draw Nadal could have gotten out of all the possible unseeded players. Especially as it would really help him to get one or two easier rounds right now. This is going to be painful and Draper should have a shot at winning this one, but will likely come up short in a tight battle. Nadal in 5
Shane Black: No.1 seed Rafael Nadal was given a tough draw having to face the in-form Jack Draper in round one. That said, the 21-year-old Brit has played in just six best-of-5 set matches. I expect Draper to take a set, but Nadal’s consistency and physicality will prove too much in the end. Nadal in 4
Jakub Bobro: The blockbuster match-up of the first round, a struggling Rafael Nadal will face off with rising star Jack Draper. This will be a great test for Draper, one of the most exciting prospects in tennis at the moment but he did just lose to Kwon Soonwoo, so I expect Nadal to grind this one out. Nadal in 5
Tallon Griekspoor vs Pavel Kotov
Damian: Griekspoor is coming off a maiden ATP title in Pune and we’ll see how it will affect him. Can it be a confidence boost or will he put more pressure on himself because of that success? It’s hard to tell, but Kotov might not be enough of a threat to potentially make him pay, it will be on the Dutchman’s racket. Griekspoor in 4
Shane: Pavel Kotov holds the 2-0 record against Tallon Griekspoor. Griekspoor, however, is coming off his first ATP title in Pune. I expect him to continue in-form play. Griekspoor in 4
Jakub: Griekspoor got off to a great start in 2023, winning the title in Pune though against a weaker field. Kotov enters the main draw as a lucky loser, off to a sputtering start this season. Griekspoor is a better player than Kotov at this moment and should win here. Griekspoor in 3
Corentin Moutet vs Yibing Wu
Damian: Another phenomenal first-round matchup here. They played each other at the US Open last year with Wu triumphing in two tight sets. He’s got the higher upside for sure, but his tendency to overhit on the forehand side could be dangerous against a player like Moutet. This match won’t make headlines regardless of what happens, but it should be making them, it will be that good. Wu in 5
Shane: Yibing Wu got the best of Corentin Moutet last August in Queens, but I believe this result will be different. Moutet ended the 2022 season in fine form and reached at least the second round in every slam he competed in. Moutet in 5
Jakub: A hipster’s special of a first-round clash. Moutet’s higher level of play at slams and a guarantee of drama make him a must-watch while Wu had one of the most impressive comebacks to the tour last season. It will be interesting to see Wu test himself on the grand slam level again and I expect an entertaining battle, though with Moutet coming out on top. Moutet in 5
Lorenzo Musetti vs Lloyd Harris
Damian: Harris is returning after a wrist injury and looked great in the first two weeks of the year in Nonthaburi. But that’s also the problem – he was still playing the final in Thailand on Saturday and with the complicated connections between Bangkok and Melbourne, he’s unlikely to be 100% ready to compete against Musetti on Monday. Musetti in 4
Shane: After missing the final six months of the 2022 season with an injury, Lloyd Harris is looking to climb back up the rankings. The big-serving South African has had a lot of success in Nonthaburi to start the season. Unfortunately for him, I have a hard time seeing him break through the No. 17 seed Lorenzo Musetti. Musetti in 4
Jakub: Another exciting first-round match-up. Lloyd Harris came back strong after shutting down his 2022 season early at the French Open due to a wrist injury. The South African has impressed at his warm-ups in Nonthaburi and could give Musetti an interesting challenge. The Italian should have a bit too much for him at this point and should outlast Harris. Musetti in 5
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